Riverine Stewardship Program
Fall-Run Chinook salmon migrate and spawn in the Feather River near California Department of Water Resources infrastructure and the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville, Butte County. Photo taken on October 16, 2025.
The Riverine Stewardship Program (RSP) is codified in state law (CWC 7049), and its component subprograms (Fish Passage Improvement Program, San Joaquin Fish Population Enhancement Program (SJFPEP), RSP Grants, and the Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP)) have delivered over forty years of technical expertise to manage and improve California’s natural resources for people and the environment.
Proposition 4 Grant Opportunities
DWR will provide competitive grant funding through the USRP for planning and implementation of projects that restore streams, creeks, and rivers to enhance the environment for fish, wildlife, and people. For more information on the grant solicitation, visit the Riverine Stewardship Program – Grants webpage. View other grant and loan opportunities with DWR. The RSP may provide non-competitive directed action grant funding through the RSP (see Announcements below).
Services We Provide
The Riverine Stewardship Program is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of planners, engineers, geologists, ecologists, and fisheries biologists with decades of combined experience leading and implementing fish passage improvement, habitat restoration, and salmon reintroduction projects in California. The Program leads diverse partnerships with Tribes, local, state, and federal agencies, nonprofits, and community groups to inclusively plan for and implement practical fish passage and habitat restoration projects.
Technical assistance is available to eligible recipients serving current or future projects that benefit disadvantaged communities and/or vulnerable populations. These services are dependent on the current availability of funding, program staff with the appropriate expertise, purpose of the project, and site-specific considerations. Contact us at RSP@water.ca.gov for more information.
Announcements
RSP Salmon Coldwater Expansion and Reintroduction - Draft Guidelines Released
Published: March 30, 2026
The RSP plays a crucial role in expanding salmon habitats, improving fish passage along complex migration routes from spawning grounds to the ocean and back again, and engineering fish passage solutions to support reintroducing Central Valley salmonids to their historical high-quality, cold water habitats, including those behind smaller obsolete facilities and the major rim dams that will remain permanent fixtures of California’s water infrastructure. The RSP's Salmon Coldwater Expansion and Reintroduction (SCE&R) funding is focused on supporting the goals of the California Salmon Strategy to help recover salmon in the long-term and reduce the risk of extinction in the near-term.
Public Comment Period is Now Open
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is pleased to announce the posting of Draft Guidelines, formally opening a 45-day public comment period from March 30 to May 14, 2026.
Download the document here: Draft Guidelines (2026)
Please provide comments by 5:00 P.M. on May 14, 2026, by emailing RSP@water.ca.gov.
RSP staff will host two public meetings to present and receive comments about these guidelines:
- General Public Meeting: Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 3:00 - 4:30pm on Zoom.
- Tribal-Only Meeting: TBD between April 29 and May 14, 2026.
DWR RSP Draft Award List - Public Comment Period is Now Closed
Published: February 17, 2026
DWR is pleased to announce the Draft Award List for the Fall 2025 Draft RSP Grant Awards. The RSP grant solicitation period is now a rolling application cycle that was re-opened in 2025 after the advanced pay amendment for concept proposals and has a full application closing date of August 31, November 30, February 28, and May 30 of each year. Concept proposals that met eligibility were reviewed and invited to submit full applications. Concepts that meet eligibility are reviewed monthly and invited for full applications to be submitted. Full applications are reviewed quarterly and recommendations for awards are made to the Director for review and approval.
| Project Name | Grantee (Sponsor/Co-sponsor) | Award Amount | Project Location |
| Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery Permanent Chillers and UV Water Treatment Project | City of Redding | $5,000,000 | Shasta County |
| Total | $5,000,000 |
Please submit any questions, opposition, comments, or concerns regarding these draft awards to the RSP Program Manager at RSP@water.ca.gov within the 15-day public comment period, which is open now and closes on March 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. The RSP will consider and respond to any comments made during this comment period on the draft awards prior to finalizing the Final Award.